Milton council to discuss moratorium on gravel extraction licenses

Milton | Halton | Latest News |

By

Published February 28, 2022 at 12:17 pm

Milton council is set to discuss a moratorium on new gravel extraction licensing applications.

This discussion follows Halton Hills Town Council’s recent decision to pass a motion in support of the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition campaign for a temporary prohibition on new gravel mining applications in the Province of Ontario.

The motion is being brought forth by Councillor Colin Best and being seconded by Councillor Tesser Derksen.

The council report regarding this motion notes that Ontario currently has over 5,000 licensed pits and quarries and that current provincial policies allow applications to be submitted without requiring demonstration of being needed.

The report also notes that mineral aggregate pits and quarries have the potential to remove habitat and natural features as well as alter land in a way that can’t be restored. Pits and quarries also have the potential to negatively impact communities with noise, air pollution and truck traffic.

Additionally, the report notes the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat climate change and that there is a legal obligation for the province to consult with Indigenous peoples about the impacts of quarries on treaty lands.

As a result, the report recommends that the Mayor write a letter to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Halton’s Members of Provincial Parliament and the leaders of the opposition parties. The report recommends that the letter demand an immediate temporary moratorium on the approval of all new aggregate license applications pending a consultation process that includes First Nations, affected communities, independent experts and scientists in order to discuss a new plan for mineral aggregate extraction in Ontario.

The report also recommends that the Clerk circulate this resolution to the Councils of the Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the conservation authorities in Halton Region and local municipalities.

Milton council is set to discuss this at a meeting on Feb. 28 that begins at 7:00 p.m.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising